These grilled chicken quarters can be cooked to juicy perfection right on your grill in just a few minutes. A quick sprinkling of my flavorful BBQ chicken rub is all it takes to whip up this quick and easy chicken dinner. Top it off with some caramelized BBQ sauce if you'd like, or enjoy your grilled chicken quarters with the sauce on the side.
Top with my homemade honey BBQ or Hawaiian BBQ sauce or try my teriyaki sauce.
Jump to:
Best Grilled Chicken Quarters Recipe
Grilled chicken leg quarters are fairly inexpensive and can be quickly whipped up on the grill in under an hour. With the right tips and tricks, this simple recipe turns out delicious regardless of whether you are cooking on a gas or charcoal grill.
When prepared properly, the skin of the chicken legs becomes delightfully crispy. It's also incredibly easy to scale this recipe up if you need to feed a crowd on a budget!
🥘 Ingredients
You really only need 2 ingredients to grill up some perfect chicken leg quarters. The BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, and brown sugar blend is totally optional because the BBQ dry rub is all the seasoning you really need.
- Chicken Leg Quarters - 1 pound, bone-in, skin on.
- BBQ Chicken Rub - 1 tablespoon (see recipe, or use your own).
- BBQ Sauce (optional) - ¼ cup. Your favorite brand, use more if desired.
- Liquid Smoke (optional) - 1 teaspoon.
- Light Brown Sugar (optional) - 2 tablespoons.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Grilled Chicken Quarters
There's nothing to complicated about this recipe. All you need is your grill, grilling utensils, and a meat thermometer.
This makes about 4 servings, or 3 in my case if you want a chicken leg per person. Though it is exceptionally easy to scale up as needed.
Prepare The Chicken Thighs
- Prep. Rinse 1 pound of chicken leg quarters under cool water then thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels (*see note).
- Season. Rub 1 tablespoon of BBQ seasoning all over the chicken, massaging it into the meat. Let the chicken legs sit in the seasoning for 40 minutes so the juices can get flowing and the meat can absorb all of the flavors.
- Preheat. Just before the 40 minutes are up, preheat your grill to 400°F (205°C). Prepare 2-zone spaces on your grill over direct and indirect heat.
Grill The Chicken Quarters
- Grill. Put the seasoned chicken leg quarters on the hot grill over direct heat, skin-side-up. Grill for 7-10 minutes, then flip and grill for 4-5 minutes on the opposite side (bone-side-up). Return the chicken so the skin side is facing up, until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Make BBQ Sauce Mixture (optional) Combine ¼ cup BBQ sauce, 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke, and/or 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar in a small bowl. Flip the chicken legs over skin-side-up once more, then move them over indirect heat.
- Caramelize (optional) Spread about 1 tablespoon of the BBQ mixture evenly over each of the legs. Close the lid to the grill and allow the sauce to caramelize for 2-3 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken leg quarters from your grill and set them aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a side of BBQ sauce, if desired.
Grilled yellow squash is an easy veggie side dish you can cook on the grill simultaneously with your chicken. Though any of your favorite BBQ chicken sides will pair wonderfully with these leg quarters. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- The USDA does not recommend rinsing your chicken, however, I always rinse meats before cooking to remove any loose bone shards (which I have found in the packaging more than once).
- Thoroughly drying off your chicken is an important step in getting perfectly crispy skin!
- If there are any loose or hanging bits of fat or skin, trim them off to prevent grill flare-ups.
- The salt in the BBQ rub will pull moisture out of the meat. Because of this, it is best to put the chicken on the grill immediately after seasoning (within 3 minutes), or after the seasoning has had a chance to sit on the meat for at least 40 minutes (this gives it time to reabsorb the juices).
- The safe internal temperature of cooked chicken is technically 165°F (74°C), but with bone-in, skin-on chicken it is best to aim for 175-180°F (79°-82°C). At this temperature the fibrous tissues begin to melt, leaving behind juicy, tender chicken!
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Your leftovers should be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
You may freeze them in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Put the leftover chicken legs in a baking dish and cover them with foil. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until heated all the way through.
❓ Recipe FAQs
So long as your chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C), it is safe to eat. Oftentimes the meat around the bone and/or juices may be tinged pink and that is okay.
Yes, flipping the chicken helps it to cook evenly. It also prevents one side from overcooking or burning, particularly because I like to grill my chicken quarters over high, direct heat for most of the cooking time.
Grill bone-in chicken leg quarters until they reach an internal temperature of 175-180°F (79°-82°C). The total cooking time ranges between 40-55 minutes, depending on the size of the quarters and the heat of your grill.
🐔 The Best Chicken Recipes
- Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Marry Me Chicken
- Baked Chicken Wings
- Chicken Marsala
- Mushroom Swiss Chicken
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Grilled Chicken Quarters
Ingredients
- 1 lbs chicken leg quarters (bone-in, skin on)
- 1 tablespoon BBQ chicken rub (see recipe, or use your own)
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce (optional- your favorite brand, use more if desired)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prepare The Chicken Thighs
- Rinse the chicken under cool water then thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels (*see note).
- Rub the BBQ seasoning all over the chicken, massaging it into the meat. Let the chicken legs sit in the seasoning for 40 minutes so the juices can get flowing and the meat can absorb all of the flavors.
- Just before the 40 minutes are up, preheat your grill to 400°F (205°C). Prepare 2-zone spaces on your grill over direct and indirect heat.
Grill The Chicken Quarters
- Put the seasoned chicken leg quarters on the hot grill over direct heat, skin-side-up. Grill for 7-10 minutes, then flip and grill for 4-5 minutes on the opposite side (bone-side-up). Return the chicken so the skin side is facing up, until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- (optional) Combine the BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, and/or light brown sugar in a small bowl. Flip the chicken legs over skin-side-up once more, then move them over indirect heat.
- (optional) Spread about 1 generous tablespoon of the BBQ mixture evenly over each of the legs. Close the lid to the grill and allow the sauce to caramelize for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the chicken leg quarters from your grill and set them aside to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with a side of BBQ sauce, if desired.
Notes
- The USDA does not recommend rinsing your chicken, however, I always rinse meats before cooking to remove any loose bone shards (which I have found in the packaging more than once).
- Thoroughly drying off your chicken is an important step in getting perfectly crispy skin!
- If there are any loose or hanging bits of fat or skin, trim them off to prevent grill flare-ups.
- The salt in the BBQ rub will pull moisture out of the meat. Because of this, it is best to put the chicken on the grill immediately after seasoning (within 3 minutes), or after the seasoning has had a chance to sit on the meat for at least 40 minutes (this gives it time to reabsorb the juices).
- The safe internal temperature of cooked chicken is technically 165°F (74°C), but with bone-in, skin-on chicken it is best to aim for 175-180°F (79°-82°C). At this temperature the fibrous tissues begin to melt, leaving behind juicy, tender chicken!
- To store: Your leftover grilled chicken leg quarters should be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You may freeze them in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Put the chicken legs in a baking dish and cover them with foil. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until heated all the way through.
Marc says
Great recipe and the rub is my new go to for chicken dinners.